Hope
by SivanShemesh
Summary: Aragorn returned to Eriador and felt that he had no hope, as he lost it. [Completed]. Won 2nd place at Mellyn Sorrow Contest, at MC group


Title: Hope 1/1  
Author: Sivan Shemesh  
Beta: nautika  
Rating: PG-13  
Warning: Mention of Character death, OOC for in case. Prepare the tissues; I think that you might need them.  
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tolkien, I just borrowed them.  
Spoiler: Year of 3007, Third age.  
Summary: Aragorn returned to Eriador and felt that he had no hope, as he lost it.  
Note: Written for Mellyn "Sorrow" contest entry. 

1.

Aragorn was alone in his mother's home in Eriador.

He could feel his legs numb as he fell upon the wet ground, crying over his mother's grave.

"I am all alone… I miss you…" Aragorn cried, as he wished his mother had not left him.

She had promised him that she would not leave him, and that tore Aragorn's heart, remembering her words, and now they only tore his heart even more.

"You lied…" Aragorn cried, and hit the wet ground, "How could you lie to me? How could you leave me all alone? How could you? Mother how?"

* * *

While in the mist, Gandalf watched, waiting for the man to overcome the pain.

Gandalf allowed his own tears to fall and waited as he leaned on his staff and stared at the ranger that mourned his mother.

* * *

He was there with her the previous spring, he tried to think where he went wrong. 

'Was she ill before?' Aragorn asked himself in doubt.

He then remembered her face, her pale face, and her eyes, staring at him with no sparkles in them.

How could he miss the signs? How could he not see that she had given up hope?

She told him that she could not face the approaching shadow, and that she would soon die.

Aragorn shivered, as he remembered, he wondered why he had not held her, given her all the support that she needed, let her know that he is the _Hope_ that she sought.

"You should have told me… before I left you, Mother… you should been told me… that you kept no hope for yourself…" Aragorn cried, and hit the ground in rage and anger.

His eyes were wet, and red as he cried. Images of he and his mother ran through his mind, as he tried to remember their good times.

"I miss you so much… I need you… you should not have had to lie to me... I love you…" Aragorn cried, and moved his hands over the ground, his hand moving, as he wished to feel his mother's skin, he wished to smell her scent.

"WHY?" Aragorn called, and rose his head over the sky, "WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN MY NANA. SO SOON? WHY?"

* * *

Gandalf heard every single word that slipped from Aragorn, and decided to go to him. He sensed that the man needed him now more than ever, as he felt alone, as though he had had no one in the world, since his mother and father were now both dead. Gandalf he knew that he had to keep Estel alive. 

Gandalf walked over to him, and knelt next to him, moving his hand over Aragorn, and letting him cry on his shoulders.

"Now… everything will be alright…" Gandalf said to him as softly as he could, as he embraced the man.

"Why?" Aragorn cried, "Why has she left me?"

"Take a deep breath, calm yourself, and then tell me exactly what had happened last spring, alright?" Gandalf asked as he pulled the man out from his embrace and stared at him with worried eyes.

Aragorn nodded, and followed Gandalf's words, as he took a deep breath.

"Now… what do you last remember from your visit?" Gandalf asked, and looked at him with a comforting expression on his face.

"When I arrived, she hugged me, and kissed me for my return, and she told me how much she missed me…" Aragorn answered.

"And…?"

"And she… she told me that she could not face the approaching Shadow and that she would soon die… how could I have missed it?"

"Miss what, mellon?" Gandalf asked as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"The missing sparkles in her eyes, her pale face… it was right in front of my eyes…" Aragorn answered, and lowered his head. He felt that he failed his mother.

"What else do you remember?" Gandalf asked, as he wished that Aragorn would stop blaming himself.

"I said a few words to her… I think…" Aragorn said, insecure.

He was not sure of his words anymore, it was still painful, and hurt him inside.

"I… I said… Yet there may be a light beyond the darkness; and if so, I would have you see it and be glad."

"And what did she answer?" Gandalf asked, and wept the tears from Aragorn.

"Onen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim - I gave Hope to the Dunedain, I have kept no hope for myself." Aragorn answered as new tears ran down in his face.

"She loved you…" Gandalf said and wept the tears again from Aragorn's face.

"I loved her too… but…"

"But what, my friend?"

"There is no hope for me… as she died, she said that she had not kept… kept hope for herself, she gave up on me…"

Gandalf tried to calm him and to encourage him, but Aragorn continued mumbling, "She left me… she lied to me… there is no hope, I was _her_ hope."

**

The End 

**


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